obama is an intensely charismatic politician but he was not able to build a political base underneath him. in fact, during his eight years, the democratic party has suffered a historic series of defeats at the state and national levels, putting them in the worst position they've been in since the 1920s. was that obama's failure? a lack of political skill? perhaps. though it is equally likely that the currents were stronger than any one person could shift. in recent years, america has gone through enormous economic, technological, political and cultural change. and in some parts of the country there has been a backlash to that change. and to an african-american president. in that interview about reagan, obama noted that reagan put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. it remains unclear whether the country was ready for obama's vision. the most dramatic bet he made was health care. he spent the first few years of his presidency and all his political capital on passing it. and i would argue that even if trump finds a way to repeal and replace it, it